BLURB: Funny, sexy, evocative, and brutally honest, Ripe is Alan Semrow’s ode to relationships with men. In this epistolary book, Semrow writes to the men who have impacted his outlook, reminded him of basic life lessons, surprised him in more ways than one, and left him reeling for days. Writing to one-night-flings, men he has never met, and men he’ll never stop running into, Semrow touches on some of the most constant human themes—love, lust, desire, and the yearning for connection. All the while, the book details a man’s journey navigating and blooming by way of the modern gay scene. Readers will find familiarity and hard truths in Semrow’s statements about the intricacy and explosiveness of the intimate moments we share.

REVIEW: This book is unusual in the sense that it doesn’t have a plot, storyline, or characters. It’s more of a memoir; letters written to the men who has been a part of his life during the different stages. He’s reminiscing about the men of his past, present and who he wishes for in his future through a series of letters written from the heart.

With each letter, the author lays bare his soul. He writes about life and the things he’s experienced, happy, sad, good and bad. These letters are an exploration of friendship, love, and intimacy.

This book isn’t what I would call sexual or romantic. He does hint at sexual encounters/ relationships with the various men throughout his life but they’re not what one would consider explicit. It’s more like a reminisce; a reflection of each encounter.

Again, this isn’t a book in the sense where there are MCs, plots, storylines or tropes. What he has given us is insight into his heart and mind, his youthful dreams, longings, regrets and ultimately his growth..

Steven Sharpe is on the road to recovery. After boozing, drugging, and sex with just about anything that moved, he’s making a comeback. Age is only a number, right? Why should he hang up his mic and guitar at thirty-seven when hard rock music needs a shot in the arm? And with his powerful voice, Steven figures he’ll have no problem regaining the adulation he once embraced as the lead singer of StarHaze.

Despite all the crazy, fun times from back in the day, one night will forever be emblazoned in his mind—the moment he fucked up his chance at love.

Driven and determined, Noah James is quickly climbing the corporate ladder. At twenty-eight, he’s been promoted to junior partner and has finally gained his peer respect. Though Noah still gets crap for being a gay black man, he doesn’t allow that to deter him from fulfilling his goal of being the only James man graduate college and build a successful career. But the past has a way of sneaking up when he least expects it and biting him in the ass.

Ten years ago, Noah and Steven were strangers at a run-down bar with their only connection being a song. When they’re thrown together again by chance, neither of them is prepared for the roller coaster of emotions they can no longer deny. Now, the two men must face the truth that while love is a fierce emotion, so is fear.

REVIEW: I’be got to say that I’m not really a fan of the rockstar/pop star trope(s) but being familiar with this author’s work and my love of books with MCs of color and interracial romance, I knew that I was going to give this book a read.

Needless to say that I’m really very glad I did. Steven is a rock star whose star has dimmed due to his boozing, drugging, hard partying ways. Now that life is all behind him and he’s on the road to recovery and he wants back into the spotlight.

Noah is young, hardworking, intelligent and driven. His hard work and determination is finally paying off in terms of his career. His personal life is another story.

Of course, there’s this saying about the best laid plans…

This story is about second chances and a lesson about skeletons in closets and your past creeping up on you.

Noah and Steven couldn’t be more different from each other but the old adage of ‘opposites attract’ rings true with these two men.

These two men are perfect for each other but fear is working them both hard and keeping them apart. The emotions written into this story that it practically leaps off the pages at you. These characters are vivid and the storyline flows quite well. I am really glad that I had the opportunity to read this story. I definitely recommend this story.

BLURB: Hitoshi Ren has a pretty good life—a great education, friends he considers family, a crush on one of the world’s biggest crooners, and a secret he believes has died. But when that secret walks back into his life in the form of late-night phone calls, he has to put his life aside and hop on a plane to face his past demons. To make matters worse—Rixton Corrigan seems quite determined on turning Hitoshi’s head.

Rixton Corrigan has been on a nonstop ride and he wishes to get off. The exhaustion of touring the world in support of his latest album and his brother’s disapproval of his carefree lifestyle has taken its toll. Since he’s doing a video and a couple of shows in Japan, he decides it’s a good time to unwind and cut himself off from the western world. Time that’s best spent alone until he can get his head on straight.

However, those plans are tested when Hitoshi Ren shows up at his hotel, looking sexy and irresistible. His brother tells him to stay away, but how can he when he’s always been attracted to Dustin’s best friend?

REVIEW: Every book I read from these authors—regardless if they writing individually or together —keeps getting better and better. Their characters are beautifully diverse and rich with each personality shining through each page.

Rix and Hitoshi are as opposite as opposite can possibly be. Their personalities clashes were horribly hilarious. You know you have damn good story on your hands when you, the reader, want to Gibbs smack both MCs on the backs of their heads. You become immersed into the lives of and interested in the happiness of the characters.

These two authors took what could have been a run of the mill, basic enemies to lovers story and too it to the next level. There were outside forces determined to keep them apart but these men fought through them all for their HEA.

This book was filled with passion, heartache and humor. You go from laughing your ass of one minute to wanting to toss these men into the sea the next.

This book went way beyond a good read. It was a great experience. This book took me on a journey of emotions. It was one I thoroughly enjoyed traveling. This is the first book. I’m looking forward to the next trip.

Otto Jones, a cop assigned to the seemingly random murder of a vampire, would rather hide out in the nearest bar than waste his time on a dead vamp. He hates the bloodthirsty demons. But when the king of the vampires commands him to work with one of the lesser princes and find the killer, he has no choice.
Prince Jessamine Senera is ready to sacrifice his happiness in a loveless marriage for his family’s benefit… but not yet. He dreams of adventure, excitement, and true love. He lives on romance novels and detective stories and wishes he could drink synthetic blood like every other vampire. But he can’t. He needs human blood to survive and is hated by vampires and humans alike.

As Otto and Jessa draw closer to an entity that doesn’t want to be discovered, Otto finds the heart he thought long dead opening to the romance-loving Jessa. No good can possibly come from falling in love with a vampire, but when a shadowy assailant attacks Jessa, Otto will descend into the darkest pit of the earth to rescue him.

REVIEW: This is a new to me author and was absolutely blown away by this story. This book was very well written. The storyline, dialogue and characters were wonderfully fleshed out.

Otto’s character is a flawed hero. He’s has his demons and has not moved past the grief over losing his sister. It’s this grief, anger and distain towards vampires drives virtually every decision—good and bad—that he makes.

Jessa’s character is a complete opposite of what you would think a vampire’s personality would be. He’s gentle, kind and soft spoken. He was more human by way of personality and temperament.

These characters are so well written, you end up caring for them. The storyline moved among smoothly, the plot was well thought out and the dialogue is superb. This book held my attention from the first page to the last and I’m really looking forward to seeing more from this author and this series.

Centuries ago Lucien’s family and pack were slaughtered and betrayed by family. Lucien was then enslaved for five hundred years by the demon who killed his succubus mother.

One thousand years later his powers as Alpha and Incubus are growing. He is now ready to take his rightful place as Alpha Supreme, but first, he must claim a reluctant mate and escape from under the heel of his possessive Vampire master Sargon.

Lucien is a hybrid shifter in a world where being unpure is not tolerated. Lucien should have never been born. Enter a dark and savage paranormal world, where being weak is stamped out and exploited. Being dominant and unapologetic is key to survival.

Follow Lucien as he seeks vengeance against the uncle that betrayed him and the demon who enslaved him and murdered his mom. Where secrets, allies with hidden agendas, and political jousting determine the fates of many.

A dark, sensual, and paranormal fantasy series by new author Dora Esquivel.

Kimi’s thoughts:

As debut novels go, this was one offering I am glad I didn’t pass up. I picked this up via KindleUnlimited, which has been a fab way for me to try new authors (and to sate my hefty reading appetite without bankrupting us, haha).

This was definitely not your run of the mill shifter story. Esquivel took many of the tropes and stood them on their head, breathing new life into this popular genre. It’s not a light and fluffy romance, so if you need that, this is not going to be your cup of tea. Her characters were engaging and her prose sucked me in from the very first page. I ended up reading this in one sitting, luckily it’s a fairly fast read. Be warned though, there is a cliffhanger.

You can get it on Amazon, where it is in KindleUnlimited for those who read using the subscription service.

Vincent Hudson is a vampire hunter and his life is about to be ruined.

When a hunting trip ends in tragedy, he is forced to do the unthinkable—seek refuge in Sanctuary Hope, where each family must nominate a member to the city council. It is seemingly a minor price to pay in exchange for medical aid and refuge. But it is a dangerous trap, and unaware of the gut-wrenching reality, Vincent nominates himself.

Now a life of war awaits him. . . and captivity to a vampire master known as Maddox Caine.

This trilogy is for mature audiences only (18+) and contains scenes of graphic violence and high heat that will have you flustered and swiftly turning the pages. These books are dark, raw, gritty, and not for the faint-hearted. Please read with caution.

If you loved Dark Silence, you will adore this. It’s not a simple re-release with a new title and a new gorgeous cover (Jay Aheer’s art, is as always, stunning), but a complete re-write. All of the basic premises of the original release are here, but it is a new book with more scenes added. The writing was good to begin with, but with experience comes maturation and Katze’s writing in this has definitely done so. It’s grittier, with some scenes that made even me catch my breath and sent delicious chills down my arms.

I can’t wait to read book 2 and will be reviewing it here, so watch this space!

And to make matters worse, Maxim was already born with two strikes against him and has has spent his entire life trying not to swing for strike three. Running from his demons worked until a roadside bomb sends him hurtling back home. When he’s forced to come face to face with the one demon he could never outrun, Maxim has a decision to make.

Ethan Garrick’s life has descended into a world of loneliness after the death of his mother. Meeting new friends is never easy but, he’s managed to fall into a lovable group of brothers. When he meets his new friends’ best friend, Ethan knows one thing for certain:

He can try outrunning his desires for Maxim, but the end of the earth wouldn’t be far enough.

REVIEW: I can’t even begin to tell y’all how much I enjoyed reading this book. Where do I start? Let’s start with the cover. This cover is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The fact that two gorgeous black men grace the cover of this book is in itself amazing. The next amazing this about this book is that black love is front and center in this book. Not just black love, but BLACK MEN in love. This story and these characters were beautifully written. Maxim and Ethan…both of these men are battling demons: loneliness, heartache, pain, disappointment and loss.

These two men deserve happiness, and they find it with each other. This isn’t a book where the men fall into bed without getting to know each other. These guys take the time to build something permanent.

I really enjoy this author’s work. I absolutely love how she portrays her characters of color in general, black men in particular. She shows that black men are capable of love and tenderness. These characters experience the loneliness, heartbreak and pain but was able to find solace and love within and can heal each other. And it was a beautiful thing to read.

BLURB: Ten years ago, Dominic Walsh faked his own death. With no true identity, it wasn’t hard. But if he’d stayed, he would have been drawn further into a life he’d never chosen. He has friends and family at Ward Security now and has managed to escape his dark past. There is only one thing he truly wants.

Abraham Stephens.

When Dom was first tasked with watching over his friend’s father, he didn’t expect to fall so hard for the gorgeous silver fox. But Abe is interested in friendship only. He’s at a point in his life where he wants something permanent, not a romp with the sexy redhead who happens to be the same age as his son.

But Abe finds himself drawn deeper into Dom’s life when cryptic messages start appearing—ones that frighten the skilled security specialist. The more Dom tries to hide what’s happening, the more Abe wants to help him.

And maybe, just maybe, he’ll find a way to trust the strength of the bond Dom understood from the start.

REVIEW: This series gets better and better with each installment. The storyline and characters are brilliantly written. Abe and Dom are so perfect together and they’re one of my favorite couples in the series thus far.

So let’s start with Abe. I loved him in Dante’s Unglued. He was so sweet, caring and strong, supportive and loving and I wanted him to follow his son Shane’s advice and find love for himself. Abe was some what content with his life: he has his great relationship with his son, his son’s happy and in love and his woodworking business is doing quite well. But he’s found that while he’s content with his life as is, he wants to give in to the budding feelings he has for Dom. The only thing holding Abe back is the age gap.

Dominic Walsh, or Dom as he’s affectionately known by his co-workers and friends, is deeply smitten with the sexy older man but Abe wants to remain friends.

The romance aspect of the book aside, the action, suspense and mystery of these books are always perfectly balanced. The characters are very well written, the plots and storylines always exciting. The dialogue goes from serious to funny in zero to sixty and is really creative as it keeps the reader on their toes. I absolutely adore this series, the series and its characters. This book will keep you engaged from the first page to the very last.

BLURB: When a ghostly dandy and his roguish companion try their hand at matchmaking, things definitely go bump in the night.

For centuries, foppish Captain Cornelius Sheridan and brooding John Rookwood have haunted the mansion they dueled and died for. Now these phantom foes must join forces to save both their home and their feuding descendants.

But when Captain Sheridan sacrifices his afterlife for the sake of true love, will Rookwood risk everything to keep his companion by his side, or is it too late to say “I love you”?

REVIEW: This novella was such an enjoyable read! I’m not a fan for historical romances but since this was from two authors whose work I’ve enjoyed reading before, I decided to give it a try. I am glad that I did because this was a delight to read. This is a historical with a paranormal twist. Cornelius and John are two ghosts who died some centuries before who haunts the mansion they died forgetting for. They’re basically stuck together and decide to team up to save their home and their descendants who are themselves embroiled in a less lethal sort of Hatfield- McCoy type of situation.

But while in the midst of their matchmaking and scheming, these two old foes realize that after all of this time together, that they too, stand to lose each other. What tickled me the most while reading this story is that even in the afterlife, men can stubborn.

While this is a novella, it reads like a full length book. The characters are lively, the storyline is delightful. The entire novella was such a pleasure to read. I would love to read more featuring the Captain and John. I definitely recommend this novella.

BLURB: Duke Webb has run the most successful bail recovery agency in Atlanta for over twenty years. That’s because he has a team of trained, competent hunters backing him up to keep his name feared on the streets. But Duke knows that nothing can go on forever. His hunters are in committed relationships and ready to settle down, and so is he. That’s what leads him to start his new training program.

“That’s the new vision for Dukes. Veterans operating and tracking behind the scenes with a new powerhouse apprehension team on the streets.”

Brian and Quick are the first to offer up two new recruits.

Kellam Knight has studied martial arts under his sensei, Quick, since he was eight years old. A tossed-out reject from high-society, Kell has a problem fighting on the right side of the law. If he sees an injustice, he has to correct it. He doesn’t have to run and cower from his enemies anymore, he’s a fighter who can protect himself and others. When Quick offers Kell the opportunity to join Duke’s training program, he’s all in. Except he’s not prepared for the straight, over-confident, extremely disciplined, sexy man Brian has recruited to be his partner.

Tyrell Jenkins’ world was flipped upside down when his father never returned home from his last deployment. He’d been Ty’s teacher, mentor, his guide to living a righteous life as a good man. His father didn’t raise him to be like every other young, stereotypical male in Atlanta. Instead, he’s been taught to be respectful, to speak the language of real men. When Brian King – his father’s most trusted comrade – finally comes to him with the truth, he doesn’t come alone. He comes with trained men hidden in the shadows… and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a brotherhood unlike any other.

This installment is a part of a series and contains previously mentioned characters, but CAN standalone. Each book centers around a new couple.
This book ends in a HEA. NO cliffhanger.

REVIEW: Oh my goodness. This book—as usual—was absolutely amazing. The characters, storylines and dialogue was top notch. But then again, this is nothing new as this author consistently churns out high quality work.

The author did something a little different this time in that an African American MC was featured. And he was DIVINE. But I’ll come back to him in a bit. Let me get into the other MC first—Kellam Knight.

Kellam—Kell—is this interesting mixture of innocence and compassion. He’s a deadly warrior who’s kind and gentle. He’s vulnerable yet strong. He’s definitely a survivor. He’s extremely beautiful which he goes to great lengths to cover. The many ways in which she was able to make him this complex character with so much depth to him was absolutely brilliant.

Now back to Tyrell Jenkins—Ty. Ty’s outward appearance belies his personality. Many would look at this young black man in expensive clothes and dismiss him as a criminal even though he doesn’t present himself as such. Ty is a man with honor and principles. He constantly draws on and applies the teachings of his late father to live by. Ty is a righteous man. A loving and honorable man. He lives his life by a moral code of conduct and principles that’s been taught to him by his father. A man who works hard to ensure that his mother is well taken care of. He is a man who is comfortable within his own skin. When he first realized that he was falling for another man, he didn’t flinch or question it too much. He just went with it, realizing that love transcends gender and race. Her portrayal of this black man gave me so much LIFE. So much needed life, at that. What Miss Lady did was take all of those ridiculous stereotypes that’s usually attributed to black men, balled it up and threw it straight in the trash where it belonged. And it was GLORIOUS.

Ty and Kell’s love story was a beautifully written thing. It wasn’t based on lust. Theirs was a subtle build to perfection. Ty courted Kell. Like old school courted him. That’s what makes their relationship so pleasurable to read. These men fell in love with each other based on their hearts and minds instead of their flesh. That came later.

What I also enjoyed with this book was how spiritual both men were. They weren’t religious but they were spiritual in that they believed in a higher power.

I could go on and on about how beautifully written this book and these characters are. If I could give this book a ten star rating, I would do it.

This womxyn comes up with the most fabulous creations every single time she put her fingers on that keyboard.

As always, went into the kitchen and put her foot in the damn pot. And this time, she did it for the culture.